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THBLenore Hamer (1884-1960) African American, Watercolor on Paper
About Seller
522 South Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
United States
Sarasota Estate Auction specializes in a wide variety of furniture, antiques, fine art, lighting, sculptures, and collectibles. Andrew Ford, owner and operator of the company, has a passion for finding the best pieces of art and antiques and sharing those finds with the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
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About Auction
LiveNov 8, 2025
Over 950 lots will be offered in day 1 of our 2 day auction weekend! There are multiple lots of fine art from mixed medias and abstracts to landscapes and lithographs. We have a Fantastic Collection of Estate Jewelry, Jaeger le Coultre Atmos Clocks, Art Glass Sculptures, Fur Coats, Lalique, Steuben, Baccarat, Bronze Sculptures, and more. Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
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- Lot Description
Lenore Hamer (1884-1960) African American, Watercolor on Paper. A pair of portraits of African Americans at work. Watercolor on paper. Hamer exhibited in Charleston, South Carolina.
Overall Size: 10 1/4 x 8 1/8 in.
Sight Size: 8 1/8 x 7 3/8 in (for man) , 6 3/8 x 4 3/4 in (for woman).Little is known about Lenore Kirby Hamer, except that she was a painter active in Charleston, South Carolina, during the first half of the twentieth century. She may, simply, have been a talented “Sunday painter” who displayed her work at various local venues. Hamer was born in Smiths Grove, in Warren County, Kentucky, a small town fifteen miles from Bowling Green. When she was married there in 1909, a newspaper announcement about her wedding described her as “very popular and attractive and quite a talented elocutionist.” Census information is contradictory: one entry indicates she attended college for four years, another that she only graduated from high school. It is unclear if she ever benefited from any classes in art. In the 1940 census she was listed as an “unpaid family worker” and, similarly, ten years later as “keeping house.” Fortunately, Hamer signed her work as demonstrated by a few extant paintings, which indicate her skill at scenic landscapes of area locales. Their style is impressionistic with light colors, and rendered with evident brushstrokes and touches of impasto. She had her paintings framed and possibly sold at Lanneau’s Art Supply Store, which collaborated in 1914 with Alice Ravenel Huger Smith on the publication of the portfolio Twenty Drawings of the Pringle House. A small drawing of a Black woman selling produce resembles similar subjects by Smith and Elizabeth O’Neill Verner. Hamer displayed her work alongside that of her daughter, Lenore Hamer Oliver, and members of the Sketch Club of Charleston at their annual sidewalk sale. Beginning in the 1930s, these sales took place in late March on the fence across from St. Phillip’s Church and were designed to appeal to the many tourists who were attracted to the Holy City at that time of year. This endeavor, among others, helped to fuel the Charleston Renaissance, a period of cultural, artistic, and preservationist renewal.
The club membership was largely female, and in newspaper clippings are generally itemized as “Mrs.,” as in “Mrs. Lenore Hamer,” and “Mrs. B. King Couper” (Josephine Sibley Couper). Miss May Paine was also listed and Richard Bryan and Edward von Siebold Dingle were the only men. In 1957 Hamer participated in an exhibit—The Studio in the Garden—organized by Alfred Hutty’s widow at her home, and a reporter for the News and Courier commented “Mrs. Hamer’s oils of seascapes and tidal scenes have a pleasantly light touch and authoritative style.” Clearly active in the Charleston art scene, according to her obituary Hamer was a member of the Charleston Artist Guild. It was founded in 1953, seven years before her death, and held regular exhibitions at the Gibbes Art Gallery (known today as the Gibbes Museum of Art). Many local artists like Smith and Verner were active there in various ways, and William Halsey served as the director of the Gibbes’ art school in the late 1940s. Corrie McCallum, was an instructor there until 1953, when she, Halsey, and Willard Hirsch opened their own school. In 1959 Hamer’s daughter exhibited three watercolors and two oils, all landscapes, at the Gibbes.Condition
All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.
- Shipping Info
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SHIPPING INFORMATION·
Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.
BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com
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- Size
Overall Size: 10 1/4 x 8 1/8 in.
